I’m a bit late, but I wanted to thank my family for a wonderful Mother’s day, I didn’t lift a finger.  All the cooking was done by my son and husband.  My other son did the initial clean-up and organization for a great breakfast.  Cinnamon French toast made with homemade bread from Aunt Tammy… delicious!  Scrambled eggs with fresh herbs couldn’t have been better.  In addition, peppered bacon, maple cured sausage, fresh fruit, bagels with cream cheese and tomatoes, capers, cucumbers, onions, and fresh squeezed orange juice was on the menu.  My gifts were perfect.  One of my favorites was my husband’s flowers that have lasted all week and keep getting more beautiful!  I’m sharing those pictures of the most amazing peonies… love them!

Thanks to my guys for making my day so very special.

My Mom  turned “80″ this month and last weekend we spent time celebrating her Birthday.  At 80 you don’t want to plan too many events, so we kept it at one major activity a day and then we just decided to be in the moment.

We started on Thursday evening, my family flying into Chicago from Charlotte and an easy rib dinner at Miller’s Pub.  Dear Elizabeth, my adopted “Niece”, organized this.

Friday morning, a beautiful day for a wonderful breakfast at Wildberry on Randolph.  The breakfast was delicious.  We ordered amazing pancakes, omelettes and the best coffee, Intelligentsia.  It was a perfect start to our birthday celebration weekend.

We drove back to the burbs to cook and chill.  My sister Tammy made the best oatmeal Oatmeal Cinnamon Bread.  We still have a loaf in the freezer!  She also started on her Chocolate Ganache Cake.  I was busy roasting the chicken for the Chicken Salad Veronique  and cutting all the veggies for the Chopped Salad.  I cooked corn, boiled eggs, chopped up Persian cucumbers, red onions, and tomatoes, and made crispy bacon.  I chopped up roasted chicken breasts, grapes, tarragon, fennel, and celery, and soaked my currants for a delicious chicken salad.  I made a wonderful, but simple French vinaigrette for our chopped salad.  All the prep work was for Saturday’s luncheon honoring Mom’s Birthday.  We had a garden cake made at “Three Tarts Bakery” in Northfield.  My niece mixed up a special iced tea, adding peach nectar, frozen peach slices, oranges, and lemons.  Shaynah was in charge of tea and the popovers, another hot scrumptious bread.

I had cut spring flowers and used whatever pink and green linens and dishes I had to complete a festive table.  The vintage dollies were fun to scatter around the table.

Mom sat and watched “Argo” while we entertained ourselves in the kitchen.  It is so much fun to cook with my sister and niece.  We all seemed to just have a good synergy.  It was easy, fluid, and fun… a great team in the kitchen!

The luncheon was lovely and filled with old friends, which made the day so very special for Mom.  I cannot stress enough that no matter what food we served it wasn’t as important as the people that gathered around the table.  My Mom was happy, excited, thrilled, and thankful!  We never get too old for a special Birthday celebration!

After lunch we hung out in the backyard, relaxing on the hammock, and enjoying the Charlotte weather my family brought to Chicago.  Baby Aiden (Shaynah’s adorable son) found a new love for the hammock that Uncle Garry introduced her to.

Another trip back to Chicago to hang with the girls.  We had leftover luncheon food for dinner and it was good night for Mom and Aiden.  But now time for the rest of us to go out to celebrate and toast.  We started at “Pops” with a wonderful pink champagne.  Our next shop was “The Pump Room” redesigned and stunning filled with beautiful looking people and great drinks!

Sunday was another gorgeous day.  We slept late, made breakfast, and walked and shopped down Michigan Ave.  Mom was in her wheelchair for ease and speed… Aiden was in his stroller.  It was a great workout for all.  We were prepping ourselves for dinner at “Girl & the Goat”.

One of my favorite places to dine… I love the small plate concept.  First order of business was fresh bread and I’m sorry but I can’t even remember which breads we chose, they were delicious and eaten in record time!  Next we ordered the green beans with cashews and a fish sauce that has changed my taste for green beans.  I have never enjoyed this vegetable until eating them at Girl & the Goat.

We were all salivating and devouring the beans.  The chickpea fritters with trumpet mushrooms, okra, mushroom aioli, and prairie fruits chèvre is another one of my favorite vegetable options.  It was a hit!  I will not bore you with everything we ordered but the diver scallops in a brown butter kimchi with hazelnuts and avocado was another wonderful choice.  We ordered beef cheeks, pork belly and more.  I have to mention the “Wood-Fired Walter’s Chicken” with ramp goddess dressing… I can only say amazing!

This group loves sweets so we ordered three different ones.  Our variety of sweets included a “Milk chocolate sponge cake” with rhubarb and passion fruit, “Sticky Date Cake”, and the best of all “Miso-Butterscotch Budino”, with bacon toffee (I could live on that!), glazed pineapple and candied cashews.  This dessert needs to be revisited and hopefully I can try to recreate something with these elements.  We were all completely full, happy, and glad we had chosen this as our celebration dinner.  It was the perfect ending to our birthday celebration for mom.

I shared this weekend with you all because it reflects the purpose of my blog… bringing family and friends together with food is the best!

There is nothing better than having family over for dinner especially family you don’t get to see often.  How lucky were we to have my nephew Jared and his lovely wife Marisa in town from California.  Then the added gift of having Elizabeth and Sam… who call me Aunt Pam, also joining us.  Their parents, Doug and Sue (my sister’s brother-in-law and wife), drove up from Champaign, and we were a group of ten with my two boys Zach and Josh.  Garry and I were thrilled and it was such a wonderful evening.

We served the brick chicken, rice pilaf, grilled vegetables, and a large kale & bib lettuce mixed salad.  Sue brought a delicious recipe of Tabouli salad made with cooked Quinoa, a great alternative to bulgar, to keep the recipe gluten free.  We had a tub of delicious hummus and pitas.  Dessert was an “All Butter Cream Cheese” pound cake, pecan brownies, fresh berries, raspberry sauce, and whipped cream.  Then of course I served three flavors of gelato… a small tablespoon just made dessert perfect!  Sunset, a grocery store here in the Chicago area, carries a brand called “Maples Gelato”.  I picked up the flavors Raspberries & Cream, Sea Salt Carmel Almond, and Cardamom Ginger… this is a must try!

I have not mentioned that they all brought wine… wonderful reds and whites to compliment the evening.  I started this blog talking about how food brings us together and what a gift it is when we have guests to share our table with.  This is why we cook, why we have a dining room table and why we say yes, please come to dinner!

This week I am spending a few days with a great group of women for yoga, cross country skiing, cooking, movies, wine, and conversation.  I am forever grateful to our hostess Karen, as she has the amazing home we are so lucky to stay at and makes us all feel so welcome.

Culvers was our stop to eat on the 6 hr trip up to this winter wonderland.  We arrive and settle into our rooms and the kitchen.  This group cooks!

Whatever we bring, it’s easy and delicious… always a treat.  The first night’s dinner was Nancy’s salmon, sautéed Swiss chard, and brown basmati rice… delicious!  Then movie night and off to bed.  We packed lunch for the next day, wonderful tuna fish sandwiches, Minneolas, apples, and a mix of dried nuts and fruit.  It was the perfect mix to keep our energy up.

After yoga and skiing, a quick grocery stop for wine, cheese, veggies, and crackers.  We listened to music, read, and relaxed.  Then it was my turn to cook dinner.  I made easy brick chicken with an apricot, honey, mustard, and wine glaze.  I also prepared the lemon asparagus risotto recipe that is already posted.  The girls made a salad and we were again toasting with wine, and enjoying the gift of friendship.  Of course I added chocolate dipped brickle cookies for dessert.

Today we headed out to a very cool shop “Northfield Cabinetry” to meet some talented craftsmen.  Then off to another ski trail.  Let me explain I love to ski, but I am not an athlete or someone who does cardio on a regular basis… though of course I should!  So I ski for about an hour and stay back while the others ski for another hour.  I am blogging and setting up for our indoor picnic lunch.  Tonight it’s Barb’s meatball and sauce with salad and garlic bread.  This group never goes hungry.

How lucky am I?  My hubby brought me two dozen roses in a beautiful shade of pink and orange (my favorite!).  He remembered where I go for wholesale flowers, how perfect!  I am beyond happy as the fragrance is amazing and so are the flowers.

As for our dinner plans… he made steak and lobster with a twice-baked potato and sugar snap peas.  The potato is courtesy of “Foodstuffs”.  It was delicious and so nice to have him cook for me.  For dessert I made a Banana Tarte Tatin.  I melted about 1/3 stick of salted butter with ¾ cup of brown sugar in an iron skillet.  Added about 5 medium sliced bananas and cooked for another minute.  Then I rolled out a sheet of puff pastry dough that I had defrosted in the fridge and covered the banana mixture.  I cooked for approx. 30 minutes at 400 degrees.  Then I inverted the pastry onto a plate and served with vanilla ice cream.  It was delicious. You could try this with pears, peaches, or apples.  Easy!  I’m sorry we ate it so fast I forgot to take many pictures.  Enjoy!

I started this blog to catalog meals that I had made for my family.  Then I met an amazing client that changed my life and she had me cooking for her.  She broadened my vision of cooking in my life.  The understanding that food is more than just nourishment was not something new to me.  It has always been a source of comfort and joy sharing dinner with family and friends… but bringing that feeling to others was new.  Food, and I guess I can say my food, has allowed me to enter the lives of my clients and bring that joy into their homes.

I have been cooking for the past several months for another special client, someone who brought his food to all of us.  I originally met him back in the 60′s, a family friend.  I cannot begin to do justice to all his accomplishments, but he pioneered the fast food icon ” McDonald’s” with Ray Kroc.  I was fortunate to get to cook for him all the comfort foods we grew up eating.  I had a menu printed for each meal I would serve.  He loved a good soup, a great cut of meat, and always a special dessert.  I think his favorite meal was a piping hot chicken or beef pot pie… his eyes would light up and that smile and look of contentment I won’t easily forget.  That reaction is what makes cooking so worth the effort when you know someone is loving your food and it makes them feel good… it warmed my heart.  I printed my last menu for him this past Monday.  Fred Turner passed away surrounded by his loving family.  I will miss beyond words Fred’s smile, his clenched fist high five, his kind words about my meals, and the encouragement he gave me as a cook.  I ate my favorite meal at McDonald’s today in honor of Fred, comfort food I grew up with that will always bring good memories and a smile to my face.  Thank you, Fred.

I want to recap what a wonderful day Thanksgiving was for me.  First was my eldest son’s birthday so it is always a special day.  We have a large but not too large group of family and friends.   I had 23 this year and set up three tables so everyone had room to eat and expand.  For me just getting the tables set makes me feel like I’m on my way.

We all cook… the week prior we divide up the dishes and everyone brings two items.  The younger twenty something crowd this year brought all the liquid libations, thanks to my youngest son Josh for organizing.  They set up the bar with soda, beer, wine, vodka… I could go on and on, but the best addition was the pumpkin martinis courtesy of my nephew Alex.  I am so glad we put that crowd in charge.  Our cousins Abby and Kyle actually co-host this holiday.  They fry everything for this amazing feast.. .turkey, shrimp, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, zucchini, onions… anything we can think of goes into the fryer.  It is a big job and Kyle sets this up with the skill of a surgeon.  Abby is his sous chef and works on all the prep getting every item covered in an amazing sauce.  I am beyond grateful for all the work they both do each Thanksgiving.  Abby also brought individual twice baked sweet potatoes that were beyond scrumptious.  She also baked brownies and a beautiful delicious pumpkin pie.  My sister in law’s cranberries were great!  My brother in law Ron was a huge help bringing two different dressing and delicious veggie sides.  Our cousin Annie always brings the Jello that comes out wonderful and this year was no exception even though she didn’t have a kitchen.  Another cousin Amy brought an array of anti-pasta items that were devoured prior to the feast.  Aunt Lou added crab rangoon from Costco that were gone in a minute, and I do mean THAT fast.  My job was the inside turkey, mashed potatoes, scalloped potatoes, corn pudding, apple crisp pie, and pumpkin pie.  My husband is the clean-up crew and I am so thankful he doesn’t mind getting his hands soaked and standing over that sink clearing, washing, and drying.  Kyle the fryer cook also pitched in helping get those casserole dishes, platters, and pans clean and ready to take home.  My son and his roommate were helpers extraordinaire.  If I needed anything, a simple request, it was done.  They were up and down the stairs, in and out of the house, cleaning up, helping me move furniture, anything at all we needed they were available.  Thank you!!!

I love this holiday… it brings back memories of being with family, of mountains of food, a day of grazing, football games, and getting back in touch.  It is great to get to see the college kids’ home and a gift to have their friends come too.  We have several generations and that also makes the day special.  I am grateful the house is cleaned up, everyone is safely back home, and I have a fridge full of delicious leftovers.  I won’t share what I had for breakfast.  I was so busy I didn’t get that many pictures but I am sharing what I have.  Thanks to my family for making this a very special Thanksgiving!

I’m not sure why I am such a fan of fall.  It does represent the end of summer and the start of winter.  Maybe it’s the cool crisp air that I love or possibly the spectacular colors that fill my senses with awe.  I will never tire of looking up at those gorgeous trees.  I love the contrast of colors and each day a new surprise awaits my eyes.  As for cooking this time of year, there are so many choices.  I want comfort food, hearty soups & sandwiches, roasts, and pastas. I love using up the last of the garden veggies.  I cannot get enough apple desserts, pies, crisps, crostatas, cakes, and caramel apples.  So bear with me as I navigate through fall.  Did I mention my love of anything pumpkin!  A walk in the woods, the smell of fallen leaves… coming home to a house filled with good food and friends, there is really nothing better.

Early morning and the weather is crisp and cool.  It’s the perfect time to take a walk in the woods.  I love looking up at the tree tops, taking a deep breath of fresh air and being grateful for a glorious day!  Nothing better than a walk in the woods to clear your head, awaken your senses, and make you realize how beautiful the world is!